The Alchemist Diaries
by King of slackers
Summary: One-shots. Lots and lots of FMA one-shots. Well, that's the plan, anyway. Right now there's only one.


Hey. So FMA has always been one of my favorites, and there was no way I was going to live this life without writing at least one fic on it. This one is dedicated to Winry and Ed, the best pairing ever. This, of course, is not opinion; it is a proven fact that they are indeed the best couple out there, hehe. I might just post a series of FMA oneshots here, so if you like this one then be on the lookout.

Well then, hope you like it.

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**Patience**

-K.o.S.

-xxx-

_A little girl stood alone in the dark as the rain fell all around her. And her eyes gazed upward into the shadows of the night; unable to see the miserable droplets that fell from the black sky until they splashed onto the coldness of her face. She didn't know why she was standing there in the gloomy, melodic downpour, but she felt the earth being drenched in sorrow. It was a feeling that she could not escape; it was a wound of the heart that she would carry with her always. In a way, she wanted this pain to continue, because if the emptiness in her soul faded away, then she might start to forget about them: her parents._

_She would never see them again. Never. _

"_Never say never," was what her mom always used to tell her, but in this case, "never" was the harsh truth. Mother was dead. Father was dead. _

_Never._

_Why? Why had this happened to her parents…to her?_

_Death. She had always feared it, but only because the world told her it was a bad thing. But she, a child, didn't really know anything about it herself, only that once someone dies, they don't come back. She had always pictured death as kind of a permanent absence. And now, having heard the news of her parents' death, she realized just how horrible the reality of death truly was. It brought despair. It brought desolation. It brought anger. But most of all, it brought her loneliness._

_She stood alone in the dark as the rain fell around her._

_There was no one else there. It was just her, wrapped in the tears of sadness that the world wept for her. And there was darkness, deeper than she could have ever imagined._

_But there it was: a flicker in the corner of her eye. A light. It was a light._

_She squinted her eyes and could barely make out the profile of someone walking towards her. It couldn't be an adult: it was much too short for that. In fact, the person must have been a few inches shorter than herself. The light that cut through the shadows approached her still, and the ominous black that had surrounded her retreated further into the depths of night. She could hear his sloshing feet as they sunk into the wet ground. _

_It was Ed. He hurried to her side and his umbrella opened to shelter them both. _

"_It's pretty cold out here, eh, Winry?" he said, merely stating an observation._

_She only looked at her feet._

"_Do you want to go back? Everyone is waiting for you."_

_She shook her head. _

_Ed really didn't know what else to say. Sorry for your loss, everything will be okay: she had already heard these things from everyone else, and yet those words seemed to do her no good. _

_He set the lantern down at his feet, and Winry felt him wrap a dry towel around her shoulders. Ed was here with her. In her time of loneliness, he had come. He didn't tell her things like the others. "I'm sorry" or "they will always live on in your heart": words that didn't mean a single thing to a child who had just suffered the loss of her parents. His eyes were gentle; his presence was tender and warm. _

_He almost lost his balance when she clung to him tightly and sunk her head into his chest. With his free hand he comforted her, and there they stood, the two of them, with a single light shining in the dark dreariness of the night. _

-xxx-

The open countryside birthed yet another peaceful morning. The lethargic dawn crept in from the east. The sun's touch moved elegantly as it stretched over the rolling fields, breathing life into the world. The animals were the first to stir. The birds gathered together to sing a happy chorus. Bees ventured forth, called out by the sweet, enticing scent of yellow lilies. The ants, marching steadily in their ranks, began to search for food. A fly stretched its legs before taking to the air, beginning a new day in the everlasting journey to fulfill his sole purpose to annoy any and all other living creatures.

Next, the first signs of humanity came. First, it was the farmers. Waking with the sun, they tend to their cows and chickens: feeding them, caring for them, milking them and gathering eggs. The next to rise were those who had to leave for their jobs in the city. Their carriages could be heard on the dirt roads: the creaking of wheels and the rhythmic trotting of horses. And of course, there were some people who enjoyed getting up early, enthusiastic about the start of a brand new day.

Slowly… slowly…Resembool awoke from its slumber.

Winry Rockbell was one of the slower ones. She still slept, even when the golden rays passed through the window and warmed her attractive, young face. It was the dull, humming sound that finally roused her sleep. Her bright, blue eyes lazily blinked open. She was greeted by the usual soothing comfort of small town life, and she propped her weight with her elbows as she gazed out at the gorgeous day. A breath of fresh air filled her lungs as she opened her window, lifting the dry morning stuffiness from her room. She stood up, allowing her thin sheets to slip off her back and slide down her smooth, shapely legs. Letting it rest at her feet, she gave a big yawn and reached her arms towards the ceiling. They fell limp at her side as she smacked her lips. Fully awake, she dressed in her usual working attire and headed downstairs.

Her door had been muffling the humming of the machines, and when she opened it, the sound was much more defined. It was a sound that she had grown up around; a sound that she loved. And as she descended, the noise grew louder and louder. Grandma Pinako sure started early today. She crossed the living room and the kitchen to make her way to the workshop, her footsteps overpowered by the drone of her grandma's work. Leaning on the wall near the doorway, she watched as the older woman skillfully sculpted the fingers on an automail arm. Winry waited until the machine was turned off to bid Pinako a good morning.

"Oh, good morning, Winry!" she greeted, "Perfect. You're just in time."

"For what?" asked the girl.

"If you take over and finish this order, I'll go and make us some breakfast."

Winry was more than happy to oblige. Making automail parts was what she did best. Not only that, but she enjoyed doing it. And last but not least, she was craving the home made taste of Granny Pinako's wholesome cooking. So she took the part from her grandma's hands and moved to a different machine, which filled the room with its unique, rumbling purr.

As for Pinako, she closed the door behind her before heading to the kitchen. Shuffling through the cabinets and drawers, she picked out what she needed and heated the stove. The humming of Winry's work seemed to set the pace of her cooking. And she did some humming of her own; an old country tune that she used to sing for her daughter when she was a small child. As she went along with this cheerful routine, some movement outside stole her attention. A small, motherly smile grew on her aged face. It would be hard for anyone not to notice a huge armored statue coming down the path to her house. And sure enough, right beside the walking mountain of metal, was the short little stubby-legged bean with golden hair. It didn't matter what kind of reason they had for being here. All that mattered was that they were home.

She opened the window and called to them.

"Hey! Al! And the bean boy!"

The two boys turned their attention from the country scenery and looked over to her.

"Aunty Pinako!" called Al, waving.

"Oi! You ancient fossil!" called Ed, already in a rage, "who the hell are you saying is so short that you can't see him without a magnifying glass and even a flea could squash him?!?"

Al ran the rest of the way and Ed sulked in behind him. Since Pinako had seen them coming, they didn't bother knocking on the door. Al ducked his head in the doorway and entered carefully, and his shorter, older brother followed. Den, the old family dog, emerged from his sleeping spot to greet them.

"Hey, Aunty Pinako," he said, "sorry for not calling and telling you we were coming."

"Don't worry about it," she said, "you know that you're always welcome here."

The humming from the next room caught their attention.

"Ah, is Winry working on something in there?" asked Al.

"Yes," said Pinako, returning to her food, "why don't you go in and say hello? It'll take me a bit longer to make breakfast now that I'm cooking for one more."

The brothers opened the door to the workshop and saw Winry, who had her back turned, working diligently. The top of her working suit hung on her back, and she was wearing her usual black top.

"Well," called Ed, over the noise, "looks like you're working pretty hard!"

Upon hearing his voice, she immediately stopped her work. Her reaction occurred in the following steps: surprise, excitement, a smile full of happiness. But who did that fool think he was, showing up from out of nowhere? She grabbed a nearby wrench, turned suddenly, and threw it with perfect accuracy.

"OW!" wailed Ed as the racket of the machine died down, "you're going to kill me with that wrench one of these days!"

He rubbed his swelling forehead and scorned.

"What do you think you're doing!? You don't call, you don't write, and all of a sudden you show up here and startle me in the middle of my work!?"

"Um…sorry Winry, Onii-san didn't mean to interrupt."

The girl pointed at the two of them accusingly.

"What did you guys come here for anyway?" she demanded.

"Do we need an excuse to come back here to visit our friends?" asked Ed.

"Oh, give me a break. You wrecked your automail again, didn't you?" she poked at his artificial arm. It was hidden under his sleeves. Slowly, he rolled them up. His metal limb was completely shattered. The Elrics gave wide, yet cautious smiles.

"How did you manage to do that!?" Winry shouted, "that was the finest automail I ever made, and you go and mess it up…"

It was the usual scenario, and Winry went on and on about automail. Whenever she went off on mechanical rants, he never really paid attention at all. Right now, he was just staring up at her, thinking how violent she looked as she waved her hands wildly as she spoke.

After her lecture, she sighed and stepped over him. Al had to move from the doorway to allow her to pass.

Ed watched as she stomped across the room. No "hey, long time no see" or "it's good to see you again." But he hadn't been expecting anything like that from her. That was just Winry. It wasn't like her to run up and give him a hug. He would let her express herself in her own way. An inward smile was shed for her as his eyes followed her every movement.

"How long do you plan to stay?" Pinako asked them when they all gathered around.

"Not long. Actually, if it's no trouble to you, I'd like to leave in about three days." Ed told her.

"That soon?" Winry piped up sadly, "But you just got here."

"Well, I'd like to leave within three days, but I don't want to overwork you. So if you're busy, I don't mind spending some extra time here."

Ed looked at Pinako and motioned towards Winry with his eyes.

"Besides, knowing this girl, it'll take her a while to make a decent arm for me."

Blonde hair wisped upwards in a flurry as Winry stood up from her chair.

"I can have that new arm of yours ready in two days!" she proclaimed proudly.

"Good! I'll hold you to it then, Winry! Thanks!" he said, nodding his head.

Winry's shoulders fell. She had just walked right into his trap. Now, if she didn't complete his arm by the promised deadline, she would be stripped of her honor as an automail engineer. Her plan to take her time and force Ed and Al to stay a little longer had been completely ruined.

His cleverness; it was one of the many things she loved about him, although she couldn't really say that she liked it so much right now.

However, even in defeat, she refused to let him wear that damn smug look on his face for long. She grabbed him by the ear and dragged him along the floor.

"Come on, then. Let's see if you've grown any, you small fry!"

"Who are you calling a shorty that is easily mistaken for a spec of dust that you sweep up and put in the trash without even noticing!?"

She sat him on the chair and lifted his good arm, taking the measurements of length and girth.

"A few inches…" she muttered as she moved to his leg.

She took measurements of his feet and leg as well.

"We can change out your leg too, since you've grown a little."

She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, and she looked down at him with a concerned frown.

"Just how did it break, anyway?"

"I…uh…fell off a wall," Ed lied.

He couldn't really tell her that Scar had almost killed him.

She sighed at such an obvious fib. Winry didn't like knowing that he and Al's lives were constantly in danger. She stood up and gave him a concerned frown, placing her hands on her hips. Under her powerful gaze, Ed only put on a timid expression, and they stared on in silence as minutes passed. He couldn't handle being stared at by her blue eyes so closely. If she got any closer, she might be able to tell how hard he was trying not to blush.

Pinako's voice saved him, however, as she called the two of them into the kitchen. The aroma of her cooking had already filled the house. Winry stared at him for a few more moments before sighing and walking away, and he got up to follow right behind her.

The meal was delicious of course, especially for Ed. For his last homemade meal, he had been forced to endure Lt. Hawkeye's less than tasty culinary creations. And what's worse, she had caught him trying to feed some suspicious looking green beans off of his plate to her dog, Black Hayate. The two brothers had learned that very night that she was incredibly vicious when angered.

Ed and Al looked glanced at each other and knew that they were recalling the same memory. The older one smiled, especially when Den sat beside him and begged for a scrap of food.

"The only time he comes around the table is when you're here, Ed," said Pinako casually, "I wonder why."

Ed bent down and scratched the dog's head.

"I'll save some for you," he whispered as Den's ears twitched at the touch of his breath, "Aunty Pinako is already on to us."

He could have sworn that the dog nodded before he turned and walked away, his automail limbs softly patting on the floor.

Al just sat on the ground, watching the rest of them eat with slight jealousy. Ed leaned towards him.

"That night, I was the one who was jealous of you. You were lucky you didn't have to taste it…"

Al nodded appreciatively at his brother's attempt to make him feel better. A good laugh could always brighten his day. Ed was able to stealthily slip Den some of his food.

It was straight to work after breakfast. On top of all the other projects they were working on, Winry and Pinako had to get started on Ed's automail. The humming started up again, and Ed and Al watched them at work for a while. But soon they found their backs against the cool, thick grass, eyes searching the heavens for god knows what.

They talked about the old days; the carefree days. Days that they spent playing outside all day with Winry and coming back home at the beckoning of a flashing lantern, and warm days full of their mother's smile. Days full of innocent laughter and adventure, before they knew the pitiless nature of the world. Those were days which they could never have back. At least, not until they restored their bodies and redeemed themselves for what they had attempted on that fateful afternoon.

"Do you want to go see her?" Ed asked, tracing the clouds with his finger.

"Yeah."

The high sun, the cool breeze, the peaceful quiet: it was the little things that they missed about this place. The graveyard wasn't too far from the Rockbell residence. Perched atop a gentle slope, the rows of headstones came into view. Third row. Fifth column. Trisha Elric.

_Loving wife and mother of two_. Date of birth. Date of death. RIP. The marble gravestone was smooth against Ed's fingertips.

"Hey, mom," Al said as he kneeled down to the grave.

Nothing else needed to be said. Their unspoken thoughts and their unexpressed emotions were spoken through their hearts.

They stared at the words engraved on the white stone. They missed her. Al nodded, and a hand placed on his brother's shoulder told Ed that he was ready to go. They made their way back at a slower pace than they had come.

Back at the house, they found Winry sitting in their spot. With Den as her pillow, she was sprawled out on the grass.

"Already tired?" asked Ed.

"We always take a break around this time," she replied, "Did you go see your mom?"

"Yeah," they said as both brothers plopped down on either side of her.

"It's so peaceful, I'm kind of restless," commented Ed.

"I know. We're used to being on the move all the time," agreed Al.

"Hmm…" Winry thought aloud, "Don't you guys have any exciting stories?"

Dodging death by mere inches, saving lives, fighting the bad guys, discovering the true history of Amestris. Did they have exciting stories?

"Not really," said Ed.

"Nope," Al immediately followed him.

"Fine."

Winry got up and went back inside the house. In the brief moment that the door was opened and closed, they smelled the sweet fragrance of brewing tea. Pinako must be making some inside.

The blonde girl was cross for her entire break, and didn't speak to them at all before going back to work. And the continued for the rest of the day: Al and End lounging around and Winry not bothering to talk to them because they wouldn't tell her anything she wanted to know. A few words were exchanged at dinner, but between Ed and Winry the only words were "can you pass the salt?" Neither of them wanted to end a day on this note, but that was exactly what happened.

The day after, she was friendlier, but still wasn't very talkative. Ed didn't realize he was following her around until she turned to ask him why he was doing so.

"Uh…"

To this, she just shook her head and continued her work.

Ed just figured that if they were in the same room together, one of them was going to have to talk to the other sooner or later. That's why he made sure he was close by to her the entire day. But at break time, they still had not engaged in a conversation of more than two exchanges. He decided that he was going to have to take the initiative.

"So, how are you doing?" he asked her as she worked.

"I won't tell you."

She wanted to play this game. He wasn't telling her anything, she wasn't going to tell him anything.

"Do you need some help?" he attempted to spark something again.

"I can do it."

She said so, but it looked like her slender arms weren't quite strong enough to do whatever it was she was trying to do. He watched as she struggled.

"Are you sure?"

"I can do it," she repeated.

The strained look on her pretty face said otherwise. He walked over to her and placed his hands on hers.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I said I can do it," she persisted.

"I can help you," Ed told her.

"No!" she pulled away.

"Why are you being so stubborn," he shouted, suddenly angered.

"Who's being stubborn!?" she shouted back.

He saw her eyes move to a nearby wrench. He snatched it before she could get to it. His triumphant grin was short lived, however, because Winry threw an even bigger one at him.

"Ow…" he cried, "you had two?"

"Of course, idiot. This is an automail shop. There are dozens of wrenches lying around."

"I thought I was safe, so I let my guard down."

"That's what's wrong with you alchemy nerds. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but you lack common sense."

"I guess that means mechanic freaks like you have common sense but no knowledge."

Winry gave a playful laugh.

"Like I said, no common sense. A smart person wouldn't insult me when there are still wrenches to be thrown."

Ed cringed and scooted away from her a few feet before turning completely around and high tailing it.

The event, though it proved incredibly painful for Ed, seemed to lighten the mood between them. Winry was back to her cheerful self, and Ed was content that he was back in her good graces. Maybe hitting him had released all of her anger. And so, for the rest of the day, everything was normal.

Later on, just before sunset, the three friends went out to the orchards. The brothers had come at a perfect time in the autumn season to see the leaves falling off the trees. And they stood in the middle of it all as they did when they were kids, and held out their hands as the yellow, red, and brown leaves rode the breeze around them. Al, still a kid at heart, ran through the rows of trees like an airplane.

Ed looked over at Winry. Her profile stood out among the falling whirlpools of color. He traced her silhouette with his eyes, and he stopped at her beautiful face. It was decorated with a smile as her long, blonde hair was being blown wildly by the wind. And in that moment, he thought that she was truly amazing. He had always thought so. He had seen how harsh and merciless the world could be. Corruption, death, tragedy, betrayal: the world was full of sin and evil. But this girl standing before him…she represented everything that was still good in this world. Laughter, purity, friendship, beauty, happiness, and…love. In his eyes, these were the things that Winry Rockbell embodied.

In the midst of the falling leaves, she caught him staring at her. His golden eyes were studying her intently. She had always been fascinated by the way his eyes looked so fierce, yet gentle at the same time. Perhaps it was just because she had known him so long; she had heard others talking about how frighteningly powerful his gaze was.

"What?" she asked.

Ed gave her a smile and held out his hand. Al laughed as he ran in circles around them. Her smile was soft as she took his hand, and they ran together, twirling and laughing and falling into the crisp leaves in the shadowy twilight of dusk.

The cold of the night summoned them home, and Pinako had hot tea waiting for them. They gathered around the fireplace and listened to the howling wind. Winry used to be scared of the noise. Apparently, she still was, because she sat close to Ed and held his hand tightly.

They talked. They laughed. The reminisced. And for a brief moment, with Winry at his side and Al and Pinako smiling so joyfully, Ed almost forgot that he had something out there in the world to accomplish….almost.

At night, Ed could not sleep. Al couldn't sleep either, but he had an excuse.

"Are you thinking about something, Onii-san?"

"It's…nice being back home, isn't it?" Ed said absently.

"Yeah."

"I'm not saying that I'm happy that Scar got away again, but…" Ed tried to pick his words carefully.

"In a way, you're glad he broke your automail because you got to see Winry," Al finished his sentence for him.

"A-Al! You're wrong! That's not what I was thinking at all!"

"Don't worry. I won't tell her," the younger brother laughed.

Ed wanted to frown, but it was coming across as more of a smile. He started to recite the periodic table of elements in reverse order, and it helped him drift off into sleep.

Winry also had trouble sleeping. Tomorrow, she would finish Ed's automail. After that, he and Al would leave again. Silently, she stared at her door. The two brothers were safe and sound, right across the hall. If she wanted to, she could walk right over there and see them. That was a comfort that she liked having. But it would all be gone soon. She would go back to worrying about them every minute of the day. She hated being away from them…away from Ed. She hated seeing them walk away. The hours passed. The morning would come soon, but she prayed that it never would.

Her prayers had gone unanswered. When Winry woke up, the calm, country daybreak greeted her. Today was all she had left.

It was a quiet breakfast; the promise of goodbye weighed in on all of their minds. Winry worked on the finishing touches on Ed's limbs with her grandma while the two boys played fetch and wrestled around with Den. There was no break today. The Rockbell women worked right through it.

It was just after mid-day when it was finished. They called Ed and removed the temporary replacement limbs that they had provided for him. He had no reaction to the nerve connection besides the usual, twisted face and a slight groan.

Another quiet meal, their last before hitting the road. Ed managed to slip a few scraps to Den without Pinako noticing.

The four of them stood out on the front lawn. Pinako and Winry stood facing Ed and Al. This was it. Goodbye for now.

"Thanks for taking care of us, Aunty Pinako," said Ed appreciatlively.

"It's nothing. Stop by again sometime," the old woman replied warmly.

"We will!" promised Al.

Ed's gaze turned to Winry. She walked towards him and handed him a gift wrapped box.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Just a little parting gift. Promise me you won't open it until later."

"Uh…okay," said Ed, inspecting the box suspiciously.

"Well, try not to wreck your automail again, you idiot," she teased.

"I'll be careful," he replied.

She was trying to hold it in. so far she was doing a pretty good job, but she couldn't stop her lower lip from quivering.

"Winry…"

"Just go, already," she said, casting her eyes downward, "you're in a rush right?"

He lifted her chin gently with his fingers. Her moist eyes stared right into his. His serious face melted into a light chuckle. Her sadness touched him deeply. Did she know that he was feeling the same way on the inside?

"You know, I'm…just as sad as you," he said cryptically, "You know that, don't you?"

Her heart raced as she absorbed his words. Did they mean what she thought they meant? But that would mean that he knew how she felt. Their eyes were locked in place. The way he was looking at her now made her feel feverish.

"Winry I l-"

Was he going to say it, those three words? The three words that would make her so happy, was he about to tell them to her? Looking into his eyes, she truly believed that he was going to. She wanted to hear them. She wanted to hear those words so badly.

"Idiot!" she cut him off, "You're such an idiot. I won't forgive you if you say it!"

"Winry?" he asked, confused.

Her whole body shook. Anger. Sorrow.

"Don't you dare say it to me, Edward Elric, and then turn around and leave me here all alone!"

"Winry…"

"Telling me won't make you stay. You'll never stay here until you find a way to restore your bodies, so just go."

With her head down, the tears fell straight from her eyes onto the ground. He laid his hands gently on her shoulders. It made her raise her head again, and the two of them were face to face.

Pinako and Al just looked on.

"When that time comes," he said softly, "I'll tell you. Will you wait until then?"

That was the stupidest question she had ever heard. Did he not know how many times a day she looked down the road, hoping to see his face? Did he not know how many times the phone rang and she wished it was him calling? Of course he didn't. He didn't know that she had been waiting for him ever since that day when he stood in the rain with her…

Her wordless nod was met with a smile.

He turned his back to her and waved without turning around.

"Well then, you two take care," he called.

"You too! Grow a few inches, okay!?" Pinako taunted him.

"Try not to grow any older!" he called back.

Winry watched with tear-filled eyes as the two of them disappeared down the hill. As expected, Ed didn't looked back. He would keep moving forward. That was just the way he was.

"Don't worry," said Pinako as she put an arm around her granddaughter, "that arm of his will be broken again in no time."

"Bye," Al silently bid his hometown farewell, "I'll see you again."

He looked all around him, taking a mental snapshot to keep in his memories until the next time he could come back here.

"Onii-san, aren't you going to take one last look at the scenery?"

Ed's eyes remained focused in front of him. He did not reply. If by chance he caught a glimpse of Winry's crying face, he didn't know if he'd have the strength to leave.

-xxx-

Ed and Al sat across from each other on the train. Ed let his head rest against the glass window as the wide open spaces of the countryside blurred past.

"Hey, Onii-san, what was that thing Winry gave you?" Al asked curiously.

"Oh. I almost forgot about that," he said, taking out the package.

_From Winry. To Ed._

He ripped open the wrapping and lifted the lid off of the box. His eyebrow twitched.

"What!? What the hell is this!?" Ed said loudly, drawing the attention of the other passengers.

"What? What did she give you?"

Ed sighed and held up a bottle of milk. Al was sure that if he had a real stomach, it would have exploded with laughter.

"It's…not…funny, you bastard…"

-Fin-


End file.
